Institute of Experimental Physics
Topic
Study of space weather influence on Earth’s interface to space
PhD. program
Nuclear and subnuclear physics
Name of the supervisor
RNDr. Šimon Mackovjak, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Science, P.J. Safarik University
Annotation
The Earth’s interface region to space is located at altitudes of 80-300 km. It is a dynamic environment constantly influenced by solar radiation and space weather from above and atmospheric processes from below. The main objective is to study these dynamics, especially with a focus on identifying the influence of space weather phenomena. For this purpose the following data will be used: optical observations of airglow from satellite missions and ground-based all-sky cameras and photometers; measurements of ionosphere parameters from GNSS receivers and radio systems based on the Doppler shift principle; space weather data describing the solar activity, the solar wind, the interplanetary magnetic field, and disturbances in the geomagnetic field. The work will be dedicated to detailed case studies of specific events as well as to a general data-driven approach using machine learning techniques. The obtained knowledge will contribute to a better understanding of the consequences of space weather on the interface region, which significantly affects the communication and operation of satellites and is therefore crucial for the entire society.